At once shocking yet respectful and unforgettable, Jesus Christ Superstar tells the story of biblical Jesus in his final week on Earth. Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice in 1970, the musical has no spoken dialogue and is sometimes considered a modern rock-opera. The musical started as a concept album before its Broadway début in 1971.

Loosely based on the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Superstar focuses on the personal conflicts between Jesus, his disciples (called apostles in the show), the people of Israel, and the leadership of Rome. Special attention is played to the relationship between Judas Iscariot, Jesus and Mary Magdalene. The story covers the last week of Jesus’s life, beginning with the preparation for the arrival of Jesus and his apostles in Jerusalem and ending with the crucifixion. This week has had a tremendous effect on humankind. This rather small group of disciples, under the leadership of Jesus, actually managed to change the course of history. It’s a story with universal appeal, with a sense of humanity that is endlessly surprising and moving.

The musical is unique among biblical retellings in that it focuses on both Judas’s struggle making the decision to betray Jesus and Jesus’s human psychology, fear, and anger in understanding and accepting his role as both leader and martyr. The show is a product of its era, permeated with 1970’s rock, gospel, folk and funk themes, language and colloquialisms of the time, and high-energy dance numbers.

This is the Epsom Light Opera Company (ELOC)’s Autumn 2019 production and James’s seventh show for them after Calamity Jane, HMS Pinafore (NODA Award), Mame, Parade, Titanic – The Musical (NODA Award), and The Witches of Eastwick (NODA Award).

The Launch Night will be held on Monday 13th May 2019 with Auditions on Sunday 26th and Monday 27th May,

The show will be presented at the Epsom Playhouse from Tuesday 15th to Saturday 19th October 2019.